Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Lord Ahmad reaffirms UK-Egypt strategic relationship [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, visited Egypt during Ramadan.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict reaffirmed the close ties between the United Kingdom and Egypt during his second visit to the country, engaging in several meetings with key Egyptian interlocutors.

Visiting Cairo for two days during the holy month of Ramadan, Lord Ahmad met Egyptian officials, faith leaders and figures from across business and civil society to discuss UK-Egypt cooperation; discussing the UK’s commitment on religious harmony, reaffirming Egypt as a key market for UK businesses and investors, and recognising Egyptian efforts to reduce tensions in the region

Meeting with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Lord Ahmad discussed the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, thanking Egypt for its unceasing efforts to promote peace and reduce tensions between the two sides. The minister was clear that the UK firmly rejects violence and unilateral action which will only serve to exacerbate tensions, undermining efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution. The two ministers also discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the negative effect the conflict has had on the world economy, including in the MENA region.

Lord Ahmad later met the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyab, as well as with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In his meetings with both leaders, he discussed the vital importance of religious dialogue and tolerance, especially during troubled times worldwide. Egypt has always been an example of how different faiths can live in harmony, and the minister was pleased to be able to meet with some young Azhari scholars to discuss how religion can continue to be a force for good regionally and globally.

Lord Ahmad also met with leading businesspeople and economists, exploring how UK firms can continue to work with Egyptian partners to seek out mutually beneficial investment opportunities. Under Egypt’s Presidency of COP27, UK companies have been making significant investments in the Egyptian renewables sector, including in green hydrogen, and the minister was keen to raise ambition further and identify future areas of collaboration.

At an evening suhour held at the Embassy, Lord Ahmad was also able to engage with a wide variety of prominent Egyptians from across business, government and civil society, sharing his experiences of Ramadan in the UK, and reflecting on how countries and governments can live up to the ideals of the holy month.

During his time in Egypt, Lord Ahmad also met with the family of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. He stressed that the UK continues to push for immediate consular access, and Alaa’s release, and that he had raised the matter directly with Foreign Minister Shoukry. In addition, Lord Ahmad met with Karim Ennarah to discuss his case.

Completing the visit, Lord Ahmad met with Ahmed Hatem, Egyptian actor and British Embassy social affairs ambassador, and with experts in combating gender-based violence, to discuss how the UK can support Egyptian organisations working in this field, including through the new UK fund, ‘Laha wa Maha’, which supports projects tackling gender-based violence.

Speaking after the visit, Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad said:

“The month of Ramadan teaches us to reflect on ourselves and on our connections to others, personally and professionally. In doing so, it is clear to me that the partnership between Egypt and the UK is of deep and lasting significance. From issues of regional and global concern, such as reducing tensions in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, or working together to tackle the climate crisis, to issues of bilateral importance, such as increasing mutual trade and investment, our partnership is strategic and enduring.

“During my visit, I have met with Egypt’s political and religious leaders to ensure our joint activity delivers positive change for the Egyptian and British people. This includes tackling global challenges such as the war in Ukraine, a matter which I discussed with Foreign Minister Shoukry. It also includes helping the most vulnerable in our societies, and I was delighted to meet with some of the beneficiaries of UK aid here in Egypt, through the ‘Laha wa Maha’ Fund, to hear about the change it has made to their lives. As we move forward, we must continue to discuss this full range of issues – from trade, to aid, to human rights – to strengthen our partnership further and achieve outcomes of benefit to all.”

April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK publishes prospectus for opportunities beyond Horizon Europe [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 6 April 2023.

Government sets out prospectus programme – titled ‘Pioneer’ – to protect and support UK research and innovation sector, should it be required.
- Plan provides confidence and certainty to UK researchers, universities and businesses and will give them an opportunity to input
- whilst the UK hopes negotiations on Horizon Europe will be successful, and that is our preference, it must be on the basis of fair and appropriate terms
- if we are not able to secure association on fair and appropriate terms, we will implement Pioneer – our bold, ambitious alternative
- ongoing conversations with researchers and businesses to ensure Pioneer would build on UK strengths and develop new capabilities
The blueprint for Pioneer – a long-term, bold prospectus programme to support research and innovation in the UK should association to the Horizon Europe scheme not prove possible – has been unveiled today (Thursday 6 April).

The Pioneer prospectus sets out the proposals that would inform the scheme, which is being developed with input from researchers, and businesses across the UK.

We are discussing association to Horizon Europe with the EU, and hope our negotiations will be successful. That is our preference. But association would need to be on the basis of a good deal for the UK’s researchers, businesses and taxpayers. If we are not able to secure association on fair and appropriate terms, we will implement Pioneer – our bold, ambitious alternative.

Earlier this week Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan held an introductory meeting with the EU Commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, to discuss research collaboration including the UK’s expectations around association to Horizon Europe. While those discussions continue, initial details on Pioneer are being published now to give researchers and businesses the opportunity to give their input, and provide long-term certainty if we are unable to reach the right terms through discussions with the EU.

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

We are engaging with the EU over Horizon Europe and I got the ball rolling this week with a meeting with Commissioner Gabriel in Brussels. We hope our negotiations will be successful, and that is our preference, but it must be on the right terms.

We must ensure we have an ambitious alternative ready to go should we need it and that our businesses and researchers have fed into it. Our top priority is supporting them to ensure their ground-breaking work can continue no matter what. That is why I am starting this conversation today about how we will keep backing them, in any scenario so our sector has certainty as well as say.

Should it be required, the alternative Pioneer programme would focus on 4 main themes to complement our existing R&D investments:
- Talent
- End to End Innovation
- Global Collaboration
- Investments in the R&D system
The government is bringing forward this detail, now, so that stakeholders from right across the UK’s research and innovation sectors can play an active role in building the plan.

The long-term programme would be established as quickly as possible if needed, and the government would undertake intensive engagement with researchers and businesses to determine priorities for a programme that would help build on UK strengths and develop new capabilities, while distributing resource and support for the sector across the country, in line with the Levelling Up agenda.

This comes as The Horizon Europe Guarantee fund has reached an important milestone with more than £1 billion now awarded to UK-based researchers and innovators, enabling them to participate in Horizon Europe projects while the UK’s association to the flagship EU funding programme is delayed.

The guarantee scheme, delivered by UKRI, supports researchers and innovators who have been successful in Horizon Europe competitions but cannot receive EU funding due to the delays to the UK’s association to the programme. With Guarantee funding they can continue their important work in research and innovation.

Support for the Pioneer prospectus

Professor Paul Boyle, chair of the Universities UK Research & Innovation Policy Network and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Swansea said:

We are pleased to see that, with publication of the Pioneer prospectus today, the government has again reiterated its ambition to complete association to Horizon Europe. The recent engagements between Secretary of State Michelle Donelan and the EU ambassador last month, and this week’s meetings in Brussels, demonstrate that this is being treated seriously by both parties.

Agreement is clearly needed on an appropriate cost for the UK’s association given the years that have been missed. And while we remain hopeful that negotiations can proceed swiftly to deliver a positive outcome, it is entirely appropriate that the UK has an alternative plan that can be activated should our association prove impossible to agree in a reasonable timeframe. As such, we are pleased to see that proposals have now been published and that government is inviting feedback.

Universities UK has been consulted on the development of the Pioneer package, and we will continue to engage constructively in the coming months. Indeed, there are aspects of the package that we would urge the government to consider implementing in addition to the UK’s association to Horizon Europe, as they would further bolster our ability to work globally and to achieve our collective research and innovation ambitions.

Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said:

The start of serious negotiations in Brussels this week over the UK’s participation in EU programmes is a significant step forward. It is right that discussions take place over fair and appropriate terms, and we hope an agreement can be reached swiftly to finally get association over the line.

The ambition of the proposals for Pioneer is welcome. If needed, it is vital that this package focuses on attracting and retaining talent and supporting global collaboration on discovery research through to innovation, all backed by funding commitments and with the necessary transition measures in place.

We welcome the opportunity to work with government on the development of Pioneer and will scrutinise the proposals carefully. However, we have always been clear that it will be a challenge to replicate the full benefits of the world’s largest collaborative research programme, with ready-made routes for talent flow, facilities access and collaboration with multiple countries.

This should not be viewed as an either-or scenario. Strengthening our links with Europe and beyond through Horizon can sit alongside a roll-out of elements of the government’s alternative plans, giving the UK the best opportunity to cement our status as a science superpower.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering said:

The strong preference of the Academy and the wider global research and innovation community has always been for the UK to associate with Horizon Europe. The progress indicated by discussions in recent weeks suggests that we are now closer to confirming that agreement. We hope that all parties will work together quickly to reach fair and appropriate terms for the association that reflect the impact of 2 years of delays. The whole engineering community would celebrate an announcement of continued partnership between the UK and EU.

Should association prove impossible even at this late stage the information in the prospectus for Pioneer will be helpful to the community in preparing for the measures that would be put in place under those circumstances. The Academy has worked closely with DSIT, our sister National Academies and UKRI to be ready to deliver the Pioneer Discovery elements of that plan.

Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer, London Higher said:

While association to Horizon Europe remains a priority for UK science, we welcome the publication of the government’s ambitious alternative plan, Pioneer. This prospectus contains a range of new, innovative proposals which could propel the UK’s science and technology superpower ambitions forward irrespective of the outcome of negotiations. International collaboration is vital to the future success of UK R&D, and we welcome the government’s detailed thinking on how this can be enhanced through the UK’s multidisciplinary strengths.

As representatives of the largest concentration of universities and research-performing organisations of any UK region, we hope that this alternative plan will continue to provide our world-class universities and researchers with the funding, certainty and stability needed to continue powering the engine of UK innovation and build connectivity across the regions. We will work with our membership to discuss the benefits of this alternative, and openly invite the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to work with London’s universities to build on the full diversity of our nation’s R&D capabilities.
April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Health and Social Care Secretary statement on vaccination of at-risk children aged 6 months to 4 years [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 April 2023.

Children aged 6 months to 4 years in a clinical risk group will be eligible for a Covid vaccine.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Children are at very low risk of harm from Covid.

However, there are a very small number of children with health conditions which make them particularly vulnerable, and for those children we want to give parents the choice as to whether they wish to vaccinate their at risk child or not.

I have accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on vaccinating children aged from 6 months to 4 years who are in a clinical risk group. It is a parental decision, and this advice is simply to enable parents of children with medical conditions to choose if they wish to have the protection.

April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government announces plan to ensure fairness and transparency across pig sector supply chain [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 6 April 2023.

Regulation for written contracts will provide fairness and certainty for the sector.

The government has today (Thursday 6th April) provided a boost to the UK’s pig sector by committing to regulate pig contracts to support the supply chain and provide greater certainty across the whole sector.

These new regulations will help to bring stability and security to the pig supply chain, strengthening the sector’s ability to deal with the challenges currently being faced around the world, such as rising costs and labour shortages caused by global pressures.

The move follows a public consultation last year, which received nearly 400 responses from producers, processors and others in the supply chain. It revealed popular sentiment in the sector that legally required written contracts would remove uncertainty and ambiguity, with the majority of respondents supporting the governments approach to implement this through legislation.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

“The pig sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the last year, with rising costs and global labour shortages putting real pressure on producers and processors.

“We are committed to working with the sector, and the regulations set to be introduced will ensure fairness and transparency across the supply chain – from pig to pork to plate – to help the sector to thrive in the future.”

The regulations will be developed using the regulation-making power in section 29 of the Agriculture Act 2020, with further engagement with industry to ensure that they meet the needs of the sector and properly address the challenges the sector faces.

As well as regulation on written contracts, the government will develop regulations to collect and share more supply chain data, particularly in relation to wholesale price transparency and national slaughter numbers. Increasing the availability of this sort of data within the supply chain will help market reporting services be more reflective of the entire UK market, and will therefore help to further reduce ambiguity for all within the supply chain.

The consultation has also revealed pig producers’ concerns about market consolidation in the processing sector, and the impact this has had on producers. In response to this, the government will be sharing the consultation’s findings relating to the alleged negative consequences of market consolidation with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Children aged 6 months to 4 years in clinical risk groups to be offered COVID-19 vaccine, says JCVI [April 2023]

The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 6 April 2023.

Committee recommends COVID-19 vaccine for children with underlying medical conditions.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that clinically vulnerable children aged 6 months to 4 years should be offered a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

Although young children are generally at low risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19, infants and young children who have underlying medical conditions are over 7 times more likely to be admitted to paediatric intensive care units.

Over one million children aged 6 months to 4 years in the US have received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine since June 2022. Data from the US showed the most common side effects reported were similar to those seen with other vaccines given in this age group, such as irritability or crying, sleepiness, and fever.

In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) first authorised use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years on 6 December 2022.

Following that authorisation, the JCVI has advised that children aged 6 months to 4 years who are in a clinical risk group should be offered the vaccine. The JCVI does not currently advise COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 6 months to 4 years who are not in a clinical risk group.

Eligible children should be offered 2 doses of the vaccine, with an interval of 8 to 12 weeks between the first and second doses.

NHS England has confirmed it will begin offering vaccinations to those eligible in England from mid-June. Parents should wait to be contacted before coming forward.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of the JCVI’s COVID-19 Committee, said:

For the vast majority of infants and children, COVID-19 causes only mild symptoms, or sometimes no symptoms. However, for a small group of children with pre-existing health conditions it can lead to more serious illness and, for them, vaccination is the best way to increase their protection.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:

COVID-19 is still in circulation, with thousands of new cases reported every week. The extra protection offered by the vaccine could be important for young children in clinical risk groups, who are at greater risk of severe illness. The virus is not going away so I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible. Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health professionals.

April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The UK signals a boost in investment and trade and urges an end to conflict in Cameroon [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa, Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, has reaffirmed UK support to Cameroonian trade and infrastructure and discussed the devastating impacts of Cameroon’s conflicts including the human rights situation during a two-day visit.

The Minister saw the impacts of British investment in Cameroon, visiting a major road in the commercial capital, Douala, which is receiving £113 million in funding from UK Export Finance to support its expansion. Due to this important UK support, the critical transportation corridor between Douala and Yaounde, and on into central Africa, is being greatly improved, bringing more and quicker trade to more people.

The UK is committed to deepening its partnership with Cameroon to enhance economic prosperity, with leaders from the country invited to attend the UK-African Investment Summit to be held in London in April 2024.

The Minister met with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and discussed the most pressing challenges faced in providing humanitarian assistance to victims of the devastating conflict in the Northwest and Southwest.

Over the past five years, the UK has delivered more than £20 million of humanitarian life-saving assistance funding to Cameroon. Meeting with experts from the Education Cannot Wait programme, the Minister discussed how UK funding, through the UN, is supporting urgent education for children affected by conflict, helping those who cannot access school to get an education.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said:

During my third visit to Cameroon, but first as a Minister rather than a businessman, I was struck by the depth of our relationship and how our two countries are working on a range of issues important to both nations.

The long-term partnership between the UK and Cameroon is underpinned by important development and security cooperation, as well as trade, investment and education and of course our ties within the Commonwealth. We have been a strong humanitarian donor over many years, particularly in response to the conflict in the predominantly Anglophone Northwest and Southwest Regions. The UK continues to urge for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

High-level discussions were held with the Prime Minister Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, focussing on the conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions, and the conflict in the Far North Region and Lake Chad area, where the UK military provides valuable training.

April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Record doctors and nurses working in the NHS helping to cut waiting lists [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 April 2023.

Latest data shows there are more doctors, nurses and staff than ever before working in the NHS.
- Government on track to deliver on commitment for 50,000 more nurses by 2024, with over 41,000 more nurses compared to September 2019
- New pension rules also come into force today to support senior clinicians to continue working in the NHS for longer
There are record number of doctors and nurses working in the NHS in England helping to deliver extra appointments, speed up diagnoses and cut waiting lists, according to the latest stats.

Data published today by NHS Digital shows in January 2023 there were almost 1.27 million full-time equivalent staff working in NHS trusts and commissioning bodies in England – over 48,700 more people compared to a year ago, an increase of 4%.

The latest data also shows there were over 5,100 more doctors and over 11,800 more nurses working in the NHS compared to January 2022.

Since 2010, there are now over 37,700 more doctors and over 52,400 more nurses working in the NHS. The government is also on track to deliver on its commitment for 50,000 more nurses by 2024, with over 41,000 more nurses compared to September 2019.

Separately, reforms to public sector pensions announced at Budget come into force today which will increase the annual tax-free pension allowance from £40,000 to £60,000 and remove the lifetime allowance charge. These changes will ensure doctors are not disincentivised from remaining in their NHS roles or taking on extra hours, meaning more expertise will be retained so we can continue treating patients and helping to cut waiting lists.

This is alongside wider changes to the NHS Pension Scheme to make retirement more flexible and support staff to remain in work for longer. These changes include allowing retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working hours without having payments to their pension reduced or suspended, fixing the unintended impacts of inflation so senior clinicians are not taxed more than necessary and ensuring staff can continue to access the scheme when working in Primary Care Networks.

Around 22,000 senior NHS clinicians could exceed the previous £40,000 annual allowance in 2023/24 and around 31,000 clinicians have reached at least 75% of the £1.073 million lifetime allowance.

These changes will mean more senior clinicians will be incentivised to stay in the workforce and work as many hours as they want, helping boost the workforce as the NHS continues to tackle the backlogs.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

It’s crucial we have a sustainable workforce as we build a stronger, healthier NHS for the long term with patients at its centre.

We are making progress in training and recruiting a record number of staff – with over 48,700 more compared to a year ago and the NHS will soon publish a workforce plan focused on recruiting and retaining more staff.

Today’s pension changes will also help boost numbers of senior clinicians – so we can continue delivering high quality care for patients.

NHS England will publish a comprehensive workforce strategy this year to help recruit and retain more staff, with independently verified forecasts for the number of doctors, nurses and other professionals that will be needed in five, 10 and 15 years’ time.
April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Mentoring and coaching company Lighthouse International Group shut down for financial irregularities [April 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 6 April 2023.

Lighthouse International Group Holdings Trading LLP has been wound-up in the public interest by the High Court following an Insolvency Service investigation.

Lighthouse was incorporated in 2012, and purported to offer life coaching services as well as mentoring, career and business development services. It promised on its website that customers subscribing to its products and services would be able to “optimise results in your life, in direct proportion to your investment of time, money and effort”.

Customers who subscribed to the service paid substantial sums as identified from analysis of Lighthouse’s bank accounts. Between August 2014 and July 2022 Lighthouse received over £2.4m in income from customers. From this income at least half was paid over to Paul Waugh, a Lighthouse member over a four-year period, and smaller amounts were paid to other members.

The court found that Lighthouse failed to deliver up its trading and financial records, as required by law, during the Insolvency Service investigation. Therefore, the investigators were unable to fully determine the exact nature of its business activities or verify Lighthouse’s account provided in proceedings that it had operated as a “research community” that had never launched its work as a viable business. Lighthouse was also found to have filed misleading or false accounts. The accounts filed recorded that over a 9 year period it had nil assets or liabilities suggestive that it had not traded.

Lighthouse, and its members failed to fully co-operate with the Insolvency Service’s investigation.

Edna Okhiria, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service said:

Lighthouse and its members refused to co-operate with our investigation and the court rightly agreed to wind up the partnership.

Paul Waugh’s efforts to obstruct our work were deemed ‘unacceptable’ and ‘deliberate’ by the judge, who also commended the investigation team for its professionalism. Where we find evidence that directors or partners are failing to adhere to their statutory obligations, for example failing to maintain adequate records, we will seek to have them wound-up in the public interest.

As a result, Lighthouse International Group Holdings Trading LLP was wound-up in the public interest in the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts by Deputy Judge Jones on 28 March 2023. The Official Receiver has been appointed as Liquidator of the LLP and has a statutory duty to investigate the conduct of all current and former partners as part of the Liquidation proceedings.

April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Time set for UK Emergency Alerts test [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 6 April 2023.

National test of Emergency Alerts will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.
Message will be received on 4G and 5G mobile phones, along with sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds

Emergency Alerts enable urgent messages to be broadcast to a defined area when there is an imminent risk to life, such as wildfires or severe flooding

Brings UK in line with other countries such as the US and Canada who use the system

A UK-wide of the life-saving public Emergency Alerts system will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.

Following successful pilots in East Suffolk and Reading, the test of the new Emergency Alerts system will see people receive a message on the home screen of their mobile phone, along with a sound and vibration for up to ten seconds.

For the test, the public does not need to take any action – the sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen – just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification – and continue to use their phone as normal.

Emergency Alerts have already been used successfully in a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, where it has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather events. In the UK, alerts could be used to tell residents of villages being encroached by wildfires, or of severe flooding.

The Government has worked together with the emergency services and partners, including the Football Association and London Marathon, to make sure the national test has minimum impact on major events taking place on the day.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden MP, said:

Put the date in your diaries – at 3pm on 23 April, we’ll be testing our new national Emergency Alerts system.

Getting this system operational with the national test means we have another tool in our toolkit to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies. It could be the sound that saves your life.

Chair of The National Fire Chiefs Council, Mark Hardingham, said:

We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe, and we need everyone to play their part – and the new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this. For 10 seconds, the national test may be inconvenient for some, but please forgive us for the intrusion, because the next time you hear it – your life, and the life-saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Civil Contingencies, Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill said:

Warning and informing the public at speed during times of crises can be vital. We look forward to further developing the use of the Emergency Alerts capability and how it can have real benefits for the public to protect and preserve life, as well as supporting policing’s wider response to critical incidents with partner agencies. Alongside partners, we will continue to listen carefully to public feedback and ensure the use of Emergency Alerts has a positive impact.

Emergency Alerts will transform the UK’s warning and informing capability; by working with mobile broadcasting technology it will provide a means to get urgent messages quickly to nearly 90 percent of mobile phones in a defined area when there is a risk to life, and provide clear instructions about how best to respond.

Best practice of Emergency Alerts in other countries have shown that they work more effectively in a real emergency if people have previously received a test, so they know what an alert looks and sounds like.

The system will be used very rarely – only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives – so people may not receive an alert for months or years.

You can find out further information on Emergency Alerts, including what they look and sound like at gov.uk/alerts
April 6, 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Nearly £50 million boost for safer roads across England [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 April 2023.

Road safety improvements will be made to 27 of the most high-risk roads in England, which will help prevent fatal and serious injuries.

£47.5 million government investment to improve safety of 27 of the country’s most dangerous roads
from the Isle of Wight to Newcastle, road users across England will benefit from road safety improvements with 50% funding uplift
investment will prevent over 750 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years, with £420 million benefit to society

Drivers, passengers and cyclists across England will benefit from a £47.5 million injection into enhancing the safety of some of the most high-risk roads in England, the Department for Transport confirmed today (6 April 2023).

Through the third round of the Safer Roads Fund, 27 new schemes will be delivered, benefiting road users around the country by driving forward safety improvements such as:

re-designing junctions
improving signage and road markings

The programme will reduce the risk of collisions which will in turn reduce congestion, journey times and emissions.

As part of the fund, government is continuing to deliver a wide range of improvements across all roads, while working with local authorities and safety groups.

To date, £100 million has been provided through the programme to improve the 50 most dangerous roads in England, the majority of which are rural roads.

Some of the improvements already made include improved signage, safer pedestrian crossings and better designed junctions.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Britain’s roads are some of the safest in the world, but we are always looking at ways to help keep drivers and all road users safe.

We’re injecting £47.5 million so that local councils around the country have the support they need to keep everyone safe, while reducing congestion and emissions and supporting local economies.

The allocation of £47.5 million to 27 different schemes has been based on data independently surveyed and provided by the Road Safety Foundation. The data analysed is based on a road safety risk, looking at data on those killed and seriously injured alongside traffic levels.

The previous rounds of the Safer Roads Fund programme focused on treating the 50 highest-risk local ‘A road’ sections in England with enhanced road safety engineering interventions. The scheme is set to prevent around 1,450 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

According to Road Safety Foundation analysis, early estimates suggest that the £47.5 million investment should prevent around 760 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years, with a benefit to society of £420 million.

Once the whole life costs are factored in for the schemes, the overall benefit cost ratio of the investment is estimated at 7.4, meaning for every £1 invested the societal benefit would be £7.40.

Dr Suzy Charman, Executive Director of the Road Safety Foundation said:

The commitment and funding announced today is transformational for road safety teams in local authorities across the country. It will allow them to proactively reduce risk and make these 27 roads safer and more inviting for all road users.

Systematic changes have already had a big impact on road death and serious injury, for example seatbelts and airbags protect lives when crashes happen. In the same way we can design roads safely so when crashes occur, people can walk away. This can be done by clearing or protecting roadsides, putting in cross hatchings to add space between vehicles which provides safer junctions like roundabouts, or adding signalisation and / or turning pockets, and including facilities for walking and cycling.

This additional investment builds on the government’s plans to recruit a specialised team of inspectors to build the country’s first ever Road Safety Investigation Branch. The team will look at how and why incidents happen and build an enhanced understanding of how we can better mitigate collisions.

It also follows the actions government has already taken to improve road safety, including:

banning any use of handheld mobile phones behind the wheel
updating the Highway Code to introduce a hierarchy of road users, which places road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy

The 27 schemes receiving funding from the Safer Roads Fund 3 are:

Road	Local authority	Funding
A586	Blackpool Council	£1,000,000
A35	Bournemouth Borough Council	£1,890,625
A2010	Brighton and Hove City Council	£600,000
A52	Derby City	£475,000
A104	Essex County Council	£1,360,000
A35	Hampshire County Council	£6,040,000
A5183	Hertfordshire County Council	£1,800,000
A165	Hull City Council	£2,990,625
A3056	Isle of Wight Council	£2,140,000
A5105	Lancashire County Council	£920,000
A5038	Liverpool City Council	£859,375
A186	Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council	£3,650,000
A6130	Nottingham City Council	£950,000
A609	Nottingham City Council	£475,000
A4158	Oxfordshire County Council	£800,000
A4165	Oxfordshire County Council	£875,000
A2047	Portsmouth City Council	£1,300,000
A6022	Rotherham Metro. Borough Council	£750,000
A6042	Salford City Council	£743,750
A4030	Sandwell Metro. Borough Council	£750,000
A625	Sheffield City Council	£1,425,000
A3025	Southampton City Council	£875,000
A13	Southend-on-Sea Council	£3,425,000
A1156	Suffolk County Council	£1,275,000
A25	Surrey County Council	£1,800,000
A439	Warwickshire County Council	£1,320,000
A3102	Wiltshire Council	£6,980,000

Total: £47,569,375

April 6, 2023

Category: Press Releases

Support for the Pioneer prospectus

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: